Michael Crawford, executive director of the BCMD, echoed Matthews’ sentiments about being personally affected by Stolle’s advocacy.
“Tom has single-handedly changed my perspective on people who are affected by disabilities,” Crawford said. “Because of his influence, I’m a part of the Banquet Network and the BCMD’s special needs initiative. My eyes are open, my ears are open, and I understand just a little bit about the challenges people who are affected by disabilities face.”
Stolle concluded that despite everything he and his family has been through, he would never change anything about the journey.
“I think if you were to talk to any parents of a child affected by a disability, they would probably say that there is a depth of love that you learn through that you just don’t learn any other way,” Stolle said.
“It’s hard to explain and its’s the kind of thing school or everyday life does not teach you. My wife and I would tell you that this is not the future we would have chosen for Jimmy, but we would also tell you we’re not the same people because of Jimmy and we wouldn’t trade who we are now for anything in the world.
“I’ve thought a lot about this, if I could choose it, would I have signed up for all of this all over again? As painful as it has been, I would say I would do it all over again. My wife and I wouldn’t have experienced the change and depths in our lives without Jimmy and if that’s what it takes then so be it.”
This article originally appeared here.
